BE A HERO FOR DEMOCRACY &

BUSINESS POLL WORKER LOTTERY

POLLWORKER RECRUITMENT PROJECT

Final Grant Report

Prepared by Francisco Pardo

January 15, 2009

Funded by

Dade Community Foundation

Miami Fellows Initiative Social Innovation Project

Project Background

The Miami-Dade Election Reform Coalition is a non-partisan grass-roots organization

dedicated to election reform. Our mission is to protect the rights of every eligible voter

to cast a ballot and to have that ballot accurately recorded and counted. The Coalition is

neither liberal nor conservative, Republican or Democrat. The Coalition will not be co-

opted by partisan agendas, political strategies or candidate or issue-driven interests.

In recognition of the historic nature of the transition to optical scan voting technology

from DRE (Direct Recording Electronic) technology, the Miami-Dade Election Reform

Coalition created the “Be a Hero for Democracy” Poll Worker Recruitment Project and

the “Business Poll Worker Lottery”. The goal was to bolster the ranks of poll workers

who run our elections with socially aware, technologically-savvy volunteers who are not

traditionally recruited for poll worker duties. The Coalition also wanted to involve the

businesses that benefit from an engaged and active civic community and who largely

contribute to that very community. Those goals arose from the recognition that optical-

scan technology and the election system relies heavily on the actions and decisions of

poll workers. Poll worker ability, training, and education were ancillary variables that

were set to be watched and monitored throughout the course of the project.

Project Implementation and Activities

General

In a true show of faith in the goals and ideals of this project, a great number of Coalition

Board Members were trained to work as poll workers and served on Election Days. In

order to recruit from wide and diverse social circles, the Coalition made a decision to

back its long-held belief in language equality and accessibility at every polling place, with

an emphasis on recruiting and placing multi-lingual poll workers at polling locations in

numbers reflective of the local community. Thus, the Coalition saw it fit and prudent to

contract for translation services to produce a tri-lingual recruitment flyer and Business

Poll Worker Sign-up form. English, Spanish, and Creole versions were produced and

used throughout the project for recruitment and promotional purposes. Please see

Appendix A.

Young, technologically-literate individuals were also targeted in an effort to provide

technological know-how in many precincts staffed primarily by well-intentioned older

citizens. This aim arose from the knowledge that many problems within the election

system are products of breakdowns in the interactions between humans and

technology. The simple act of placing a poll worker comfortable with technology in a

precinct is to invest in a reduction of such errors and difficulties. The result is a

smoother election all around.

The Coalition’s relationship with the Supervisor of Elections, Lester Sola, allowed for the

gauging of the need for poll workers in different parts of the County and for the

recruitment of targeted groups, especially language minorities. The Supervisor of

Elections stated to the Coalition that an estimated 7,000 poll workers were recruited by

June 30, 2008.1 However, the Coalition was already aware that the overwhelming

majority of these poll workers were coming from the ranks of the County’s labor force

because for several years, County employees have essentially been responsible for

running Miami Dade’s elections. In reality, the two weeks of Early Voting that have

received so much positive media attention are staffed mostly with County employees.

The Coalition was also aware of the strong need for language minority poll workers

throughout the County. In fact, Miami-Dade County is a covered county under the

federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 and this, together with a County Ordinance, require

that all voting materials in the county be provided in English, Spanish, and Haitian

Creole. Historically, these language requirements have posed unique challenges to how

the county runs elections and recruits poll workers, especially in precincts that serve

Haitian-American voters.2

The decision was made to recruit as many poll workers as possible to bolster the ranks

for Election Day in order to remove the rationale behind the mandatory participation of

many County employees, to reinvigorate the pool of poll workers with new volunteers,

and to increase the ranks of multilingual poll workers. The Coalition was also aware that

the Department of Election was still recruiting and training poll workers as of July 11,

2008 and this information made the continuation of the projects feasible and

worthwhile.

The Coalition was also heavily involved in the Miami-Dade County’s resolution to

establish a county-wide Business Poll Worker Lottery under the auspices of the County

Mayor and Community Relations Board. Coalition Board members encouraged

members of the County Commission to support Commissioner Bruno Barreiro’s

resolution and were instrumental in the drafting of the final resolution. The resolution

ultimately failed and a county-wide Business Poll Worker Lottery was never established.

Please see Appendix B.

1 This estimate was given by the Supervisor of Elections after an initial report on June 19, 2008 set the number of poll

workers at 8,000. 2 Miami-Dade has had a history of not providing Creole-speaking Haitian-American voters with effective assistance at

the polls. In 2002 the United States sued the County for failing to comply with Section 208 of the Voting Rights Act, 42

U.S.C. 1973 aa-6. In particular, an investigation had shown that the county had limited assistance provided to the

Haitian-American community during the 2000 presidential election. The parties negotiated a Consent Order requiring

the County to modify the training of its poll workers, to recruit more bilingual workers and to provide educational

materials to Haitian-American voters. This decree expired on December 11, 2005. See Consent Order, No. 02-21688

(S.D. Fla).

Because so many Board members of the Miami-Dade Election Reform Coalition signed

up to serve as poll workers, the decision was made to hire two Project Directors to

complete the goals of the project. Francisco Pardo, a longtime member of the Miami-

Dade Election Reform Coalition, and a student at George Washington University, and

Ronald Bilbao, a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill were

contracted to provide products to run the project. The Co-Directors produced media

outreach plans, volunteer recruitment plans, and MDERC volunteers utilized these

products to complete the goals of the project. The volunteers reached out to local

businesses, the Elections Department, local civic, political, and labor organizations to

recruit poll workers throughout the summer and fall of 2008.

2. Media Outreach

In conjunction with the Miami Fellows Initiative, the Co-Directors also designed and

implemented a media outreach strategy to touch all print and broadcast media outlets

in Miami-Dade County. By way of example, on July 30, 2008 both Co-Directors were

featured guests on Millie Herrera’s radio show, Democracia al Dia, which broadcasts on

1550 AM. The pair was interviewed for nearly 45 minutes on the urgent need for multi-

lingual and young poll workers for the elections. Several callers phoned in to ask how

they could volunteer and to comment on the importance of civic participation. Lida

Rodriguez-Taseff also appeared on a national Spanish language television show aired by

HITN TV on October 23, 2008 at noon. She spoke of the need for poll workers and of the

conduct of early voting. In addition to that appearance, Ms. Rodriguez-Taseff and Sandy

Wayland were featured guests on the Topical Currents radio show that was broadcast

on September 2, 2008 on WLRN 93.1 FM.

The Co-Directors of the project also worked with the Miami Fellows Initiative and Board

members of the Coalition to produce a press release. It provided information on the

Miami Fellows Initiative’s support for the Coalition’s projects and how to get involved

and become a poll worker or sign up for the Business Poll Worker Lottery. It was sent in

an email blast and was personally distributed to known media contacts. Please see

Appendix C. As a result, the Daily Business Review ran a story on the grant awarded to

the Coalition on August 8, 2008. Please see Appendix D. The Coalition also advertised

the projects on its website and through its listserve.

3. Community Outreach

The Coalition reached out the following community groups and organizations: Human

Services Coalition, AFL-CIO, ACLU of Florida, University of Miami, National Hispanic Bar

Association, Florida Bar, Notre Daime d’Haiti Church, Haitian American Grassroots

Coalition, Haitian Women of Miami, and the Miami-Dade County Student Government

Association.

The outreach included attending group meetings, making presentations, providing

information and engaging in basic education, all with the goal of not only recruiting poll

workers but also planting the seed for civic participation in the conduct of elections

(which is different from the more traditional involvement of citizens in elections which is

usually focused on voting and supporting political candidates).

4. Lawyer and Law Firm Outreach

Importantly, the Coalition sought to make its biggest impact on the legal community by

reaching out directly to the Florida Bar Board of Governors. The Florida Bar is the

oversight organization for all lawyers in Florida. Copies of the outreach efforts to the

Board of Governors are attached. Please see Appendix E. The Coalition’s effort resulted

in an unprecedented endorsement of the work of the Coalition in the Florida Bar News,

the trade publication sent to all lawyers in Florida. Please see Appendix F. Additionally,

the Coalition presented its project on the national stage at the annual membership

meeting of the Hispanic National Bar Association, the nation’s largest Hispanic lawyer

group, held in Los Angeles California. Please see Appendix G.

The Coalition also reached out to Carlos Concepcion, managing partner of the

Concepcion, Sexton, and Martinez law firm in Miami to ask him to participate in the

Business Poll Worker Lottery. He agreed and also promised to write an opinion piece

that subsequently ran in the Miami Herald. The opinion piece urged all other business

owners to participate in the Poll Worker Lottery and be “Heroes for Democracy”. This

represented the best way to get the word out to other businesses: directly from one of

their peers. Please see Appendix H. Mr. Concepcion’s opinion piece continues the

MDERC tradition of speaking out through the media.

Personal contacts, organization listings, and media outreach were used in conjunction as

the main recruiting methods. This represents the bulk of the work to implement both

the poll worker recruitment project and the Business Poll Worker Lottery. The Co-

Directors also produced project administration systems and record keeping systems to

maintain the project in a sound organizational and fiscal state.

Populations Served

The Be a Hero for Democracy and Business Poll Worker Lottery truly served all of the

voters of Miami-Dade County. Additional poll workers result in an improved election

experience for everyone. The project targeted language minorities so that those poll

workers could be available at precincts where there is a large language minority

population to provide assistance if necessary.

Outcomes, Results, and Conclusions

This small project had big goals. The Coalition met and surpassed them. This all-

volunteer organization was successful in enlisting the participation of the University of

Miami, the second-largest private employer in Miami-Dade County, in the Business Poll

Worker Lottery. Non-essential UM employees were allowed to sign up to become poll

workers and were paid the same rate as if they were at work for their time as poll

workers. This demonstration of civic commitment by the University of Miami was

encouraging and it was a big success for the idea of civic participation by businesses that

is embodied in the Poll Worker Lottery. Please see Appendix I.

There is no way to gauge the impact of the outreach and media coverage of the

projects. The Department of Elections was contacted about the number of poll workers

that were recruited after August 1, 2008. The Department did not provide the Coalition

with specific information on the new number of poll worker volunteers. As a result, it is

very difficult to quantify the success of this recruitment effort. However, the results

obtained from the University of Miami are encouraging. They suggest that the outreach

undertaken was effective in recruiting large and high-profile organizations for the

Business Poll Worker Lottery. While a concrete number is not available, the interest

sparked by the media outreach undertaken by the Coalition indicates that many

individuals were at least informed of the need for additional poll workers and received

the call to civic service. There is no doubt that some individuals who would not have

otherwise volunteered did so because of the efforts undertaken for this project.

However, the Miami-Dade Elections Department confirmed that a total of 28 University

of Miami employees signed up and worked as poll workers. These are individuals who

without the University’s participation in the Business Poll Worker Lottery would not

have otherwise had the opportunity to become poll workers. They represent tangible

civic engagement and community involvement on the part of the University of Miami as

well as positive project results.

The encouraging results also came with interesting and worrisome information. Many of

the Coalition Board members who served as poll workers reported receiving different

and often conflicting training and information. Even poll workers at the same training

session received different materials and training. While outside of the scope of this

project, these problems are important because they ultimately affect the quality of

service provided by the recruited volunteers and ultimately affect the running of the

election as well as the ability of citizens to cast their ballots. The Coalition strongly

recommends that all training materials be dated.

The impact of an individual poll worker who is trained and has experience with

technology, and who may be multi-lingual cannot be overstated. The inclusion of just

one of the MDERC-recruited poll workers in a precinct in need of support means that

fewer mistakes were made and that citizens were better able to efficiently and

effectively cast their ballots and have their voices heard. The Coalition also supported

the involvement of key businesses in this civic endeavor. That is an outcome that will

continue to benefit the community and the voters.

Challenges and Lessons Learned

The largest challenge involved with this project was data collection. The process to sign

up to be a poll worker is such that it is difficult to know how many workers were

recruited by MDERC. The Supervisor of Elections worked with the Coalition to attempt

to keep track of the applications by marking them with ‘MDERC’. However, many

volunteers likely used other methods or forms to apply to become a poll worker. This

meant that it was impossible to track them.

Despite all of the efforts, the Coalition realized that, especially in the Haitian-American

community, there remained a shortage of skilled multilingual poll workers to take care

of the needs of this voting population. As a result, although outside the general scope of

this project, the Coalition expended its own funds to create large instructional poster

boards to teach Haitian-American voters how to vote correctly on the new technology.

These large poster boards were provided to Haitian grassroots groups, including the

Haitian-American Grassroots Coalition, Vey Ya Yo, and the Haitian Women of Miami, for

use by their volunteers at polling locations.

Future Plans

The Miami-Dade Election Reform Coalition has always encouraged citizen participation

in elections. Several Coalition board members have volunteered as poll workers for

several years and will continue to do so. The Coalition fully intends to continue the

tradition of encouraging participation in elections to improve the experience for all

voters and to safeguard the right to vote. Yearly fundraisers and new grant applications

serve as the main means of raising funds to support this endeavor.

Project Finances

The Human Services Coalition serves as the fiscal agent for the Miami-Dade Election

Reform Coalition. HSC holds all funds and processes all financial transactions in relation

with grant funds obtained for this project.

The Miami-Dade Election Reform Coalition was awarded $4,000.00 in grant funds for

this project. The total amount of grant funds that were expended totals $4,000.00. The

total amount to be returned is $0.00.

A total of $3,000.00 dollars was utilized to pay the Co-Directors. Ronald Bilbao was paid

a total of $800.00 as he was not able to participate in the project after the start of the

academic year. Francisco Pardo was paid a total of $2,200.00 for the project design,

implementation, data collection, and production of the final report.

Printing expenses totaled $748.99 for printing of the grant proposals, project materials,

and several large specialty instructional boards. Lida Rodriguez-Taseff was reimbursed

for translation services that totaled $160.86. Meeting and training expenses totaled

$40.14. Local travel expenses totaled $50.01.

Please see Financial Appendix A for the Final Financial Report Form.

Please see Financial Appendix B for the Translation Services Invoice.

Please see Financial Appendix C for the Printing Services Invoices.

Please see Financial Appendix D for the Staff Contracts.

Coalición Por La Reforma Electoral En El Condado De Miami-Dade

Sea héroe de la democracia

El Condado de Miami-Dade se está preparando para implantar un nuevo sistema de votación basado en escanes ópticos. Es un momento fabuloso, pero los cambios pueden ser difíciles para todos. Ayude a sus conciudadanos durante este período de transición inscribiéndose para trabajar en los colegios electorales durante las próximas jornadas electorales – por lo general en su propio barrio. ¿Por qué debe usted trabajar en un colegio electoral en las jornadas electorales? Un colegio electoral bien manejado necesita buen personal. Un equipo organizado y completo en el colegio electoral hará posible que los ciudadanos voten de manera rápida y eficiente. Las colas largas pueden desanimar a los electores. Aprenderá todo cuanto hay que saber sobre el proceso electoral en el Condado de Miami-Dade. Como trabajador electoral certificado, será usted toda una autoridad en las innovaciones electorales de este año. Comparta sus conocimientos con familiares y amigos, y contribuya a que todos sean mejores electores.

Los ciudadanos son quienes mejor pueden manejar los colegios electorales. Cuando le vean trabajando en su colegio electoral, sus vecinos se sentirán más confiados porque saben que no escatimará usted esfuerzos para garantizar la identidad de su mesa electoral. ¿Qué hace falta para integrar el equipo de trabajadores electorales?

• Ser votante inscrito en el Condado de Miami-Dade. • Llenar una solicitud de trabajador electoral y devolvérsela al Departamento de

Elecciones. • Recibir instrucción para tomar y aprobar la sesión necesaria de capacitación en línea

(por computadora). • Asistir a una sesión obligatoria de capacitación de ocho horas de duración (que se

ofrece de lunes a sábados). • Aprobar los seis módulos de capacitación y obtener una puntuación de no menos del

80% en el examen final (en el que podrá consultar el libro). • Recibir el certificado correspondiente y pasar a ser trabajador electoral, auxiliar

electoral, especialista de control de calidad, inspector, o delegado electoral durante dos años.

• Recibir pago por asistir a la capacitación para la certificación y completarla debidamente.

• Recibir pago por ayudar a sus conciudadanos a votar el día de las elecciones. Visite http://www.miamidade.gov/elections/employment_poll-worker-info.asp para obtener su solicitud y más información. Envíe su solicitud a: Kaye Johnson, Election Outreach Supervisor Miami-Dade Elections Department 2700 N.W. 87th Avenue Miami, Florida 33172

APPENDIX A

Be a Hero for Democracy Miami Dade County is moving to a new optical scan voting system. This is an exciting time, but change can be a difficult for everyone. Help your fellow voters during this transition by signing up to work in a community precinct on upcoming election days - Usually in your own neighborhood.

Why Should You Become an Election Day Poll Worker? A Well Run Voting Precinct Needs Good Staffing An organized and complete precinct team will help citizens vote quickly and efficiently. Long lines can discourage voter participation. You Will Learn All There is to Know About Voting in Miami-Dade County As a Certified Poll Workers, you’ll be an authority on all that’s new in voting this year. Share your new knowledge with friends and family and help everyone become an educated voter. Precincts are Best Run by Citizens Your neighbors will feel great about voting when they see you there. They’ll know that you’ll do a great job to ensure the integrity of their polling place.

What is Required to Join the Poll Worker Team?

• Be a registered voter in Miami-Dade County • Complete and return a Poll Worker Application to the Election Department. • Receive instruction to take and pass the required on-line training session • Attend a mandatory 8-hour certification training (Offered Monday – Saturday) • Pass each of six training modules and score at least 80% on an open-book final exam. • Receive a Certificate of Achievement and become a certified Clerk, Assistant Clerk,

Quality Assurance Specialist, Inspector, or Poll Deputy for two years! • Get paid for attending and completing the certification training. • Get paid for helping your fellow voters on Election Day.

Go to http://www.miamidade.gov/elections/employment_poll-worker-info.asp to get your application and to learn more. Send your application to:

Kaye Johnson, Election Outreach Supervisor Miami-Dade Elections Department 2700 NW 87th Avenue Miami, FL 33172

Vin yon Ewo pou Demokrasi

Miami Dade County ap konmase sèvi ak yon sistèm skanè optik pou moun ka vote. Sa se yon moman ki enteresan anpil, men, tankou tout chanjman, sa kapab prezante pwoblèm pou tout moun. Ede elektè parèy ou pandan tranzisyon sa a: enskri pou ou travay nan biwo vòt pandan jou eleksyon ki pral rive byento – Pi fò moun se nan katye yo menm yo fè sa.

Pouki pou ou vin yon Amplwaye Biwo Vòt pou Jou Eleksyon?

Yon Sikonskipsyon Vòt ki byen òganize bezwen bon jan Anplwaye Yon bon ekip kap travay nan yon sikonskripsyon li epi ki byen òganize kapab ede sitwayen yo vote pi vit epi ak mwens pwoblèm. Lè gen anpil moun kap tann nan liy pou yo vote, sa dekouraje patisipasyon elektè yo.

Ou pral aprann tou sa ki gen pou konnen sou afè vote nan Miami-Dade County Lè ou vin yon travayè electoral sètifye, wap vin yon ekspè sou tou sa ki nouvo nan afè eleksyon ane sa a. Pataje nouvo konesans ou avèk zanmi ak fanmi epi ede tout moun vin yon elektè enfòme.

Se sitwayen menm ki kapab jere sikonskripsyon yo pi byen Vwazen ou pral santi yo fyè lè yo vin vote epi yo wè ou la nan biwo vòt lan. Yap konnen wap fè yon bon jan travay pou garanti entegrite biwo vòt yo an.

Kisa ki bezwen pou yon moun antre nan Ekip Travayè Elektoral lan?

• Se pou ou deja enskri pou vote nan Miami-Dade County • Se pou ou ranpli yon Aplikasyon Travayè Elektoral epi remèt li nan Depatman Eleksyon an • Se pou yo baw enstriksyon pou ou pran epi pase sesyon fòmasyon ki sou Entènèt lan epi ki

obligatwa • Se pou ou ale nan yon Fòmasyon ki dire 8-èd tan pou resevwa sètifikasyon (Yo ofri li le

lendi rive jis le samdi) • Se pou ou pase chak seksyon fòmasyon epi fè yon nòt ki omwen 80% nan yon egzamen

final kote ou kapab louvri liv ou pou jwenn repons yo • Ou pral resevwa yon Sètifika Reyisit epi sètifye pou ou vin yon Klè, yon Asistan Klè, yon

Spesyalist pou Asire Kalite, yon Enspektè oubyen yon Depite Biwo Vòt; Sètifika sa yo bon pou dez an!

• Ou pral touche lè ou asiste epi fini fòmasyon pou sètifikasyon an • Ou pral touché lè ou ede sitwayen parèy ou pandan Jounen Eleksyon an

Ale nan http://www.miamidade.gov/elections/employment_poll-worker-info.asp pou jwenn yon aplikasyon epi pou aprann plis enfòmasyon. Voye aplikasyon ou bay: Kaye Johnson, Election Outreach Supervisor Miami-Dade Elections Department 2700 NW 87th Avenue Miami, FL 33172

Be a Hero for Democracy Miami Dade County is moving to a new optical scan voting system. This is an exciting time, but change can be a difficult for everyone. Help your fellow voters during this transition by signing up to work in a community precinct on upcoming election days - Usually in your own neighborhood.

Why Should You Become an Election Day Poll Worker? A Well Run Voting Precinct Needs Good Staffing An organized and complete precinct team will help citizens vote quickly and efficiently. Long lines can discourage voter participation. You Will Learn All There is to Know About Voting in Miami-Dade County As a Certified Poll Workers, you’ll be an authority on all that’s new in voting this year. Share your new knowledge with friends and family and help everyone become an educated voter. Precincts are Best Run by Citizens Your neighbors will feel great about voting when they see you there. They’ll know that you’ll do a great job to ensure the integrity of their polling place.

What is Required to Join the Poll Worker Team?

• Be a registered voter in Miami-Dade County • Complete and return a Poll Worker Application to the Election Department. • Receive instruction to take and pass the required on-line training session • Attend a mandatory 8-hour certification training (Offered Monday – Saturday) • Pass each of six training modules and score at least 80% on an open-book final exam. • Receive a Certificate of Achievement and become a certified Clerk, Assistant Clerk,

Quality Assurance Specialist, Inspector, or Poll Deputy for two years! • Get paid for attending and completing the certification training. • Get paid for helping your fellow voters on Election Day.

Go to http://www.miamidade.gov/elections/employment_poll-worker-info.asp to get your application and to learn more. Send your application to:

Kaye Johnson, Election Outreach Supervisor Miami-Dade Elections Department 2700 NW 87th Avenue Miami, FL 33172

APPENDIX B

APPENDIX C

Election Reform $4,000 grant will fund recruitment of poll workers

August 08, 2008 By: Review staff he Miami-Dade Election Reform Coalition has received a $4,000 grant for its campaign to recruit poll workers for the

upcoming elections.

The grant from the Dade Community Foundation’s Miami Fellows Initiative will help fund the coalition’s “Be a Hero for Democracy” campaign and another poll worker project targeting full-time workers.

The initiatives launched in May are recruiting volunteers to work at the polls on election days Aug. 26 and Nov. 4.

The “Be a Hero for Democracy” campaign recruits volunteers from civic and religious groups.

The other program asks businesses to allow their employees to take a paid day off to work at the polls. Law firms Concepcion Sexton & Martinez and Duane Morris and the University of Miami are among the participants.

The Aug. 26 primary will be the first in Miami-Dade using optical scan ballots, the third kind of election equipment in eight

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APPENDIX

From: Rodriguez-Taseff, Lida Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 2008 4:13 PM To: 'DBR@RothmanLawyers.com' Subject: CIVIC PARTICPATION PROPOSAL David, It was a pleasure speaking with you earlier regarding a non-partisan civic participation project idea for the Florida Bar membership centered around protecting the rights of voters. As you are aware, pursuant to legislation passed last year in Florida, there is a legislatively mandated switch from DRE touchscreen voting machines to precinct counted optical scan ballots that is taking place in 15 Florida counties, representing more than half of all Florida voters. The switch must be completed by July 1, 2008 and will therefore be in place for the August primary and November general election. Because of the tight time frames associated with the transition from one type of voting system to the other, and because of the fact that the two voting systems are so drastically different from each other, there is a very serious chance that the new system will be overburdened on election day, unless the polls are staffed with top notch poll workers who are computer literate and technology savvy, comfortable giving and understanding complex directions, and able to communicate with diverse members of the public, including language minorities. Because lawyers and legal staffs at law firms readily fit these requirements, I am proposing that the Bar champion a Law Firm Poll Worker Lottery Program that would function as follows: Participating law firms would notify all of their employees (staff and lawyers), that the firm will be accepting names of those interested in going through the county government sponsored poll worker training and becoming poll workers on election day. Taking into consideration capacity and staffing issues, the participating firms would select, at random, a certain number of employees. Those employees would go through the poll worker training and would work the polls on election day. The firms would agree to compensate the employees for training and working the polls in the same manner that they would be compensated if at their regular jobs. Attorneys who agree to become poll workers would also receive pro bono credit. The Bar would disseminate information about the Program in its printed materials, e-mails and other advertising. Law firms and lawyers seeking to receive pro bono credit would follow usual procedures for obtaining pro bono credit for Bar sponsored activities. It is worth emphasizing that poll worker service, like jury service, is civic service. Poll workers are not permitted to be affiliated with political parties, candidates or issue PACs. Their job is to uphold the Constitution and to carry out the voting laws. Please see the article below which appeared in the Miami Herald yesterday and which explains the current state of voting systems in Florida. I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks,

Lida

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APPENDIX E

From: Rodriguez-Taseff, Lida [mailto:LRTaseff@duanemorris.com] Sent: Thursday, August 07, 2008 12:53 PM To: David B. Rothman Cc: swayland@mindspring.com

Subject: THANK YOU

David, On behalf of the Miami-Dade Election Reform Coalition, thank you for all of your hard work and leadership in getting the Bar's Communications Committee to encourage Florida Bar members and their firms to volunteer to be poll workers. The article that ran in the Florida Bar News (linked below),was superb. It really made the case in a timely, compelling and factual way. Please also thank the Committee's Chair, Richard Tanner, for his leadership and well-researched positions on the subject. On a personal note, David, I know you are an incredibly busy person. The fact that you took the time to push this is not lost on us. You really make me proud to be a lawyer. Thanks again, Lida Rodriguez-Taseff Chair Emeritus Miami-Dade Election Reform Coalition

http://www.floridabar.org/DIVCOM/JN/JNNews01.nsf/cb53c80c8fabd49d85256b5900678f6c/d122b7954297c21b8525748e004e589f?OpenDocument&Highlight=0,polling*

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Search:

The Florida Bar News

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News HOME

August 1, 2008

Lawyers urged to

volunteer for the

upcoming elections

Election supervisors are always looking for poll

workers

The Bar’s Communications Committee is encouraging Florida Bar members and their firms to

get involved in public service during the upcoming elections.

Communications Committee Chair Richard Tanner noted lawyers are particularly well-suited to

serve as poll workers.

On voting days, the supervisors of elections are among the largest employers in counties,

hiring many workers to conduct the elections.

“These are the people who make democracy real,” said Ion Sancho, supervisor of elections in

Leon County. “They allow basic access to the voting process. They reconnect citizens with the

meaning of self-government.”

Tanner noted several counties, including Hillsborough, Orange, and Seminole, offer programs

to recruit employees who would be released from work for election days to serve as poll

workers. Employees with management/supervisory experience, customer service skills, and

experience with computers and office machines are excellent candidates for the programs.

Poll workers ensure voters are in the correct precinct, issue ballots, give voting instructions,

verify registrations with laptop computers, operate voting equipment, and maintain orderly

flow at polling sites. Poll workers also must complete a training course and are paid for this

work on election days.

“By participating in this partnership program, your organization will demonstrate a

commitment to civic duty, teamwork, and support of the election process,” said Buddy

Johnson, supervisor of elections for Hillsborough County.

Some counties provide community organizations and businesses, like law firms, the

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APPENDIX F

APPENDIX G

© 2008 Miami Herald Media Company. All Rights Reserved.

Posted on Sun, Aug. 10, 2008

Let your employees be heroes for a day

I recently got a call from a colleague asking if I would be willing to be a ''Hero For Democracy.'' I had never been asked that question. What does it entail, I asked. She said, ``It's simple. I want you to consider allowing a couple of your employees to train to become Miami-Dade County poll workers and to work the polls on Election Day.''

''Sure,'' I said. ''That's not a big deal.'' She said, ''But you need to pay them in the same way as if they had been at work.'' I thought about it for about two seconds and said, ``OK, sign me up.''

Why pay my employees to take time off from work to assist voters? Because poll workers do not work for political parties or candidates. They take an oath to leave their political opinions and partisan leanings at home.

A poll worker serves all of the voters of our community to make sure that they can exercise their right to vote. Poll-worker service, like jury duty, is the highest form of civic service.

With the change in voting technology that has been receiving so much media attention, business owners, and particularly attorneys, have a responsibility to share their wealth. We have talented employees who read and speak more than one language; energetic people who are accustomed to dealing with the public; people who are computer literate and technology savvy, who can handle stressful situations. These are precisely the people who make the best poll workers.

While most of the business owners and attorneys I know would tell you that they can't afford to have valued talent take the day off, if you push a little harder they will also say that they owe their business success to this community. Many of us also owe this country our right to vote.

So, my friends, it is time to share your wealth. Be a ``Hero for Democracy.''

CARLOS F. CONCEPCION, attorney, Concepcion, Sexton & Martinez, Miami

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APPENDIX H

opportunity to fully staff precincts with their own employees serving as trained poll workers

and then designate the regular poll-worker compensation as a donation to a nonprofit

organization.

Miami lawyer Lida R. Rodriguez-Taseff notes that the need for “top-notch poll workers who are

computer literate and technologically savvy, comfortable giving and understanding complex

direction, and able to communicate with diverse members of the public” is great this year,

considering 15 Florida counties will be switching from touch screen voting machines to precinct

counted optical scan ballots.

The ABA Council on Racial and Ethnic Justice, ABA Section of Individual Rights and

Responsibilities, ABA Standing Committee on Election Law, and the Lawyers’ Committee also

are seeking the pro bono assistance of lawyers, firms, bar associations, and corporate legal

departments to help staff and host the national voter hotline and prepare voter education

materials as part of its Election Protection project.

During the 2004 election cycle, ABA groups mobilized 25,000 trained volunteers, including

8,000 legal volunteers, to monitor polling places, educate voters, facilitate a dialogue with

local and state election officials, provide legal support to poll monitors, and answer the 1-866-

OUR-VOTE national voter services hotline.

Florida has two elections this year — a primary on August 26 and the general election

November 4.

For more information about public service and poll worker opportunities, visit

http://www.floridabar.org/election08 for links to all 67 supervisors of election in Florida and

the ABA Election Protection project.

News HOME

[Revised: 01-05-2009 ]

© 2005 The Florida Bar

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June 16, 2008

To the University Community:

The University has agreed to participate in a public service project to improve the voting

process in the fall elections.

As you may have read in The Miami Herald, Miami-Dade County is in the process of implementing different technology—a scanned ballot system—for the fall elections. The

scanned ballot has been used for years for SATs and the U.S. Census. Voters mark ovals on paper ballots that are fed into scanners that count the vote in the precinct.

It will be used for the first time by poll workers and voters in the August 26 election and will still be fairly new technology when it is used for the expected record turnout on November 4. Accordingly, there is a need for a large number of qualified and trained poll workers.

The non-partisan Miami-Dade Election Reform Coalition has proposed that employers, where possible, facilitate employees serving at the polls. The University of Miami Law School Alumni Association has also taken up the cause. As a result, the University has agreed to lend its

support.

Here’s how it would work:

Employees who are interested in serving as poll workers should first seek approval from their supervisor. Obviously, supervisors must be mindful of the University’s responsibilities to

students, patients, and others—and that August 27 is the first day of school.

Assuming supervisory approval is granted, the employee should register as a poll worker applicant with the county by completing and returning the attached application. The application must be submitted by June 25. Be sure to complete the form in its entirety. The county will

contact employees about participating in a half-day training session, which they can choose to attend on either July 11 or 12.

Prior to elections, poll workers will be assigned to a precinct, generally near the person’s home. The election-day work schedule lasts about 14 hours.

The University will grant paid administrative leave for the half-day training session and election-day assignments. Additionally, the county compensates poll workers $40 for training and $105

for election-day duties.

A certificate of completion from the county for training and election days must be submitted to the employee’s supervisor for verification.

If you have any questions, send them to the Division of Human Resources at hraa@miami.edu. Thanks for helping with this effort to ensure a smooth election process.

Sincerely,

Joe Natoli

Senior Vice President for Business and Finance and Chief Financial Officer

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APPENDIX I

July 2008

MFI Class IV Miami Social Innovation Project (MSIP)

Grantee Report Guidelines

Financial Report Form

Complete this form and attach it to your report. Use the table below to show how much has

been spent to date to implement the project; how much has come from the MFI-MSIP grant

and how much from other sources.

Organization’s

Name: Miami-Dade Election Reform Coalition

Report Date: MFI-MSIP / Dade

Community

Foundation Funds

Other Funds Total Cash

Expenses

Project Staff: Co-Director F. Pardo $2,200.00 $2,200.00

Project Staff: Co-Director R. Bilbao $800.00 $800.00

Project Staff: Position $ -

Project Staff: Position $ -

Services Sub-contracted to Key

Partners $ -

Consulting Services $ -

Other contracted professional

services – Translation Services $160.86 $160.86

Project Supplies & Materials $ -

Marketing/Publicity/Advertising $ -

Printing & Copying $748.99 $748.99

Postage & Delivery $ -

Office Supplies $ -

Local Travel $50.01 $50.01

Local Meeting Expenses $40.14 $40.14

Equipment Rental $ -

Equipment Purchase $ -

Space Rental for project activities $ -

Other Costs (itemize below) $ -

$ -

$ -

$ -

$ -

TOTAL EXPENSES $4,000.00 $4,000.00

Name of person completing form: Francisco Pardo

/s/ Francisco A. Pardo 1/8/09

Signature Date

FINANCIAL APPENDIX A

LOPEZ AND DURAN INTERPRETING AND TRANSLATING 420 SOUTH DIXIE HIGHWAY

SUITE 2-L

CORAL GABLES, FLORIDA 33146

U.S.A.

Tax Id. Number 59-1930361

INVOICE

May 7, 2008

Lida Rodrguez-Taseff, Attorney at Law Duane Morris 201 South Biscayne Boulevard, Suite 3400 Miami, Florida 33131

Re.: Miami-Dade Election Reform Coalition Certified translation into Spanish and Haitian Créole of a document entitled “Be a Hero for Democracy”, e-mailed and couriered to your office on this date.

Spanish version 385 words, at 18 ¢ per word $ 69.30

Créole version 436 words, at 21 ¢ per word 91.56 Total $160.86

FINANCIAL APPENDIX

INVOICE Duane Morris LLP

200 South Biscayne Blvd. #3400

Miami, FL 33131

Phone 305-960-2200

DATE: SEPTEMBER 1, 2008

TO:

Miami-Dade Election Reform Coalition

4500 Biscyane Blvd

Suite 340

Miami, FL 33137

FOR:

MDERC Printing

DESCRIPTION AMOUNT

Printing for Miami-Dade Election Reform Coalition – Be A Hero for Democracy $300.00

TOTAL $300.00

Make all checks payable to Duane Morris LLP.

FINANCIAL APPENDIX

INVOICE Duane Morris LLP

200 South Biscayne Blvd. #3400

Miami, FL 33131

Phone 305-960-2200

DATE: AUGUST 1, 2008

TO:

Miami-Dade Election Reform Coalition

4500 Biscyane Blvd

Suite 340

Miami, FL 33137

FOR:

MDERC Printing- Be A Hero for Democracy

DESCRIPTION AMOUNT

Printing for Miami-Dade Election Reform Coalition – 6 Large specialty foam core boards

@ $100 each $600.00

In-Kind Contribution to Miami-Dade Election Reform Coalition -$151.01

TOTAL $448.99

Make all checks payable to Duane Morris LLP.

Miami Dade Election Reform Coalition

Contractual Agreement

Be a Hero For Democracy and Francisco Pardo or Ronald Bilbao

This Agreement (the “Agreement”) is hereby entered into between the Miami Dade Election Reform Coalition, Inc. (MDERC), and ______________________, an individual (“Consultant”). The date of this agreement shall be retroactive to June 1, 2008 (“the Effective Date”). Whereas, MDERC is running two voting related projects titled: “Hero for Democracy”/“Business Poll Workers Lottery” project and the “Time the Vote” project (the “Projects”), during the Summer and Fall of 2008. Whereas, MDERC has retained Consultant to carry out the work of the Projects on behalf of MDERC. Whereas, MDERC is required to prepare a report on the “Hero for Democracy”/“Business Poll Workers Lottery” project in conformance with the requirements set forth in the grant documents relating to the grant received by MDERC for that project and the project is not deemed complete until said report is prepared and submitted (the “Completion Date”). Now wherefore, for good and valuable considerations the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged by the parties, the parties agree as follows:

1. Consultant shall be retained as co director of the Projects. 2. Consultant is bound by this Agreement and all documents referenced herein. 3. Consultant shall perform the following functions during the term of this

Agreement (which functions must be performed between the Effective Date and the Completion Date):

a. Prepare mission statement and project messages for the Projects; b. Prepare materials for recruiting volunteers and obtain Spanish and Haitian

Creole translations for those materials; c. Printing and dissemination of materials; d. Compile a list of key organizations and individuals for outreach and

recruitment and personally contact each of those organizations and individuals to advise them of the Projects and obtain their assistance;

e. Draft press releases and handle inquiries; as well as seek out medic opportunities for dissemination of information about the Projects;

f. Prepare grant application for “Time the Vote project; g. Report weekly to MDERC h. Coordinate the “Hero for Democracy”/“Business Poll Workers Lottery”

project with MDERC’s grantors

FINANCIAL APPENDIX D

i. Write all required reports on the “Hero for Democracy”/“Business Poll Workers Lottery” project and abbreviated report for “Time the Vote” project.

4. MDERC Shall compensate Consultant a total of $________ for the work described in paragraph 1 above as follows:

a. A total of $1,500 will be paid to Consultant of completion of the tasks related to the “Hero for Democracy”/“Business Poll Workers Lottery” project.

b. A total of $______ will be paid to Consultant of completion of the tasks related to the “Time the Vote” project.

c. Consultant acknowledges having received the following payments: i. July 1, 2008, $400 (paid on July 22, 2008 by MDERC). ii. Aug. 1, 2008, $400 (paid on August 4, 2008 by MDERC). iii. October 15, 2008 $200 –Upon reporting on recruitment efforts for

the period August 15 to October 15, 2008 d. Consultant agrees that MDERC is entitled to receive reimbursement from

MDERC’s grantor for the payments set forth in Paragraphs 4.c above. 5. Consultant agrees that he is not an employee of MDERC. Therefore, Consultant

shall not be deemed an agent, employee, partner or joint venturer of MDERC. Consultant shall not be entitled to any benefits, coverages, or privileges, including, without limitation, social security, unemployment, workers' compensation, medical or pension payments, or holiday/vacation pay or other such benefits made available to employees of MDERC.

Miami Dade Election Reform Coalition ____________________ _________________________ By: Alexandra Wayland Consultant Its: President